Each week, we shine the spotlight on one of our online coaching clients. The simple idea of making ourselves stronger through training brings together people of all different backgrounds and for all different purposes. In sharing our clients’ experiences we hope to share part of what makes our online community of lifters unique.

David has been with BLOC since the early days! He’s coached by Niki Sims. When he’s not doing his really-long-and-important-job-title, he’s in the gym or playing hockey. He’s made some seriously impressive gains!

Before and After: David has made some impressive gains!

What is your occupation?

Manager of Global Revenue Management Strategy for a hotel chain

Who is your BLOC Coach?

Niki Sims

What is something your coach has had to tell you a million and one times?

To stop rushing my pulls; “take like three seconds to break it off the floor”

What is your favorite lift?

Press

Where do you live?

Smyrna, Georgia

Do you lift in a home gym or a public gym?

Home

Gym cat or dog?

dog

How long have you been training?

In the sense that I actually know I’m doing, something like 2-3 years

Why did you start lifting?

Originally, when I was a lot younger, it was to put on weight for hockey. Then it was to try and hold the little progress I had made. Eventually, it was to generally be a more robust person.

What do you love about training?

Being able to set a difficult goal, and achieve it via hard work. Once you realize you can make that happen in something that can be objectively measured, it makes it easier to carry the approach over to other areas of your life.

What lifting achievement are you most proud of?

Hitting a 200 pound Press

Did you ever think at any point in your life that someday you’d be as strong as you are now?

No, for the upper body lifts. On the lower body ones, I still have some work to do.

Describe a time after you started training when someone noticed your gains. What was it like?

One day I sat down for dinner across from my father in law, a 6-3 retired firefighter, and he sized me up, cocked his thumb at me and said “David’s lookin’ like Hercules over here”

How many shirts and pairs of pants have you torn?

4

What or who gets you to train when your motivation is really low?

The realization I’m lucky to get to work hard and improve – to this point, I’m illness-free, physical-handicap free, and I owe it to the people who are important to me to keep myself as robust as possible.

What are some of your go-to lifting songs?

What is the most embarrassing song you like?

I once hit a Squat PR to “Don’t Stop Believin'”, which is kind of embarrassing, I guess.

What’s one of your personal lifting superstitions?

Always dress left to right: Left shoe goes on first, left knee sleeve goes on first, left wrist wrap goes on first.

What are some of your lifting-related goals for this year?

I’m within shouting distance of a 300-pound Bench and a 400-pound Squat; hitting those by year end would be great

What have you learned about yourself from barbell training?

I don’t know if it’s something about me per se, but I’ve learned the value of patience. Sometimes you have a bad day, but if you keep forging ahead working hard at a well thought out plan, you know progress will come.

Who is someone you’d love to try barbell training and why?

Each of my parents.

Do you have a role model? Who is it and why?

I have a number of them, but when it comes to attitude around lifting, I’d say my wife. She’s not a lifter, but the way she approaches difficult commitments – don’t complain, just get it done – helps me get on with it on days I’m not feeling my best.

If BLOC made a yearbook, which do you think you’d most likely win?

Do you love to eat?

What’s your favorite meal? Please use as much detail as possible.

Tell us your best dad joke.

Why did all the girls want to dance with the mushroom at the school dance? Because he seemed like a fun-gi!

Video: David hitting a smooth 290 bench press

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